Package



May 31, 1966 w. H. eoonme PACKAGE Filed Feb. 8, 1965 I NVENTOR. VV/LLA 20 H GOOD/M6 Eon 420 D. GHQ/Au A7'70EA/EY United States Patent 3,253,707 PACKAGE Willard H. Gooding, Encino, Calif., assignor to Western Velo 3: Cement Specialty Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Feb. 8, 1965, Scr. No. 431,136 4 Claims. (Cl. 20665) This invention is directed to a package, and particularly to a package which employs disposable panels which form the shape of the package when in use, and aid in its handling.

The handling of bags of pulverulent or granular commodities has long added a substantial portion of the total cost to the ultimate consumer. The material in the bags itself is often relatively inexpensive, but its transportation and the previously necessitated individual bag handling has raised the consumer cost to a point where it is more economic to use other materials, or to a point where the use of such materials adds an unnecessarily great cost factor to the cost of the finished product in which it is incorporated. This is particularly true in the case of bagged cement because a large number of bags are usually used in each cement requiring project, and accordingly a large number of individual cement bags must be handled by purely manual means, in accordance with past techniques.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a package which is particularly adapted to be employed with cement bags and other similar commodities so that they may be readily handled by mechanized equipment in packages larger than individual bags.

It is another object of this invention to provide light packaging elements which permit the creation of a unitized package which is inexpensive so that the packaging elements may be disposed of rather than reused so as to reduce original shipping costs and eliminate rehandling and reshipping costs of the packaging elements.

It is another object of this invention to provide a package system which provides economic packaging elements which are trouble-free and inexpensive and yet provide means to package a plurality of bags of material into a unitary structure which can be readily handled by mechanical means for transportation and storage.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following portion of the specification, the claims and the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an upper isometric view of the package of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a lower isometric view thereof; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of one of the panels employed in the package of this invention.

As an aid to understanding this invention it can be stated in essentially summary form that it is directed to a package which employs packaging units comprising panels which are placed between bags of granular materials and which also have bags of granular materials positioned therebetween. The packages are maintained in the unitary structure around and between the panels by employment of strapping. The panels are provided with lifting means at their top and are provided with feet at the bottom. The feet serve to hold the bags oil of the lower supporting surfaces and thus maintain them dry and also maintain them high enough to permit the entry of the forks of lift trucks. If desired, cross pieces may be placed below the bags across the panels so as to provide a bottom rest for the bags when the package is being created and so as to protect the bags from the forks of the lift truck, when extensive forklift moving thereof is contemplated. The panels are preferably made of inexpensive substantially rigid material such as multiply 3,253,707 Patented May 31, 1966 corrugated kraft cardboard, or plywood. They are also preferably made to conserve material and to this end a notch is provided between the bottom legs, which notch corresponds dimensionally with the lift extension at the top so that the panels can be cut out of continuous material without wastage.

This invention will be understood in greater detail by reference to the following portion of the specification wherein the drawings are described. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the package of this invention is generally indicated at 10. The package 10 comprises first and second panels 12 and 14, a plurality of bags 16 of granular or pulverulent material, and upper and lower straps 13 and 20 which hold the various elements of the package together as a unitary structure.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the panel 14 will be described in more detail. Panel 14 is generally rectangular construction having a top edge 22, left and right edges 24 and 26 and a bot-tom edge 28. Cut into the bottom edge 28 of the sheet of material which forms the second panel 14 is recess 30 which thus divides the bottom edge 28 into first and second legs 32 and 34. Support bar openings 36 and 38 are respectively cut into the legs 32 and 34 and are of such dimensions as to accept a suitably dimensioned length of dimension wood.

Left edge 24 has a strap notches 40 and 42 cut therein. Similarly, right edge 26 has strap notches 44 and 46 cut therein. The distance between the bottom of strap notch 40 and the bottom of strap notch 44, and similarly, the distance between the bottom of strap notch 42 and bottom of strap notch 46 is predetermined so that it is slightly less than a whole number multiple of the widthwise dimension of one of the filled bags 16. The reason for this dimension will hereinafter become more apparent. The top edge 22 has an upwardly extending lug 48 integrally formed therewith. Lug 48 extends sufiiciently far upward to be positioned above the bag 16 when the package is assembled, as is shown in FIG. 1. Lug 48 has opening 50 therein which is adapted to be engaged by a bar which extends between the two openings. Lifting is accomplished on this bar. If two lifting hooks are available, they can be hooked into the openings 58 for lifting purposes, but a bar is preferred for even distribution of the load.

The material of panels 12 and 14 is any inexpensive material having adequate rigidity for the described purpose. This material preferably includes multiple ply corrugated cardboard, preferably of the kraft variety. This cardboard should have suitable compressive strength so that the package load can be supported upon the legs of the panels. Where the gross weight of the package 10 is greater than can be supported on economic grades of corrugated cardboard, plywood can be used as a construction material. The thickness and quality of the plywood should be consistent with the gross weight of the package.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of bags 16 are arranged in rows 52 and 54 with their fiat faces adjacent each other. Panels 12 and 14 are located between the first and last bags in each of the rows and the remainder of the bags therein so that one bag in each row lies on the outside of each of the panels while the remaining bags are positioned therebetween. Strapping is engaged around the bags and through the notches in the panel to maintain them in the desired position. Thus, strap 18 is engaged around the bags 16, around protective bands 58 and 60 and through the upper notches 40 and 44. In view of the fact that the bottom dimension between the notches 40 and 44 is less than the total dimension across the two bags, the strap is not tightly engaged in the bottom of the notches, but engages upon the bags between the panels. Similarly, lower strap 20 engages around protective bands 6-2 and 64 which are positioned around the bags lying on the outside of panels 12 and 14, and through notches 42 and 46. Strap 20 also engages upon the bags between the panels. Thus, unitary package is obtained wherein the legs extend below the bottoms of the bag 16 to permit the access of forklift equipment thereto. Lifting lugs 48 extend upward past the tops of bags 16 so that the openings 50 therein are available for liftin Th e use of cross bars 66 and 68 is preferred to aid in the assembly of the package and give it further strength in use. Cross bars 66 and 68 extend through the support bar openings 36 and 38 and extend outwardly through the panels 12 and 14 to a sufiicient extent to extend most of the way under each of the bags positioned outwardly from the panels. Thus, all bags are supported on the cross bars. Furthermore, the cross bars are positioned so that they are generally located under the centers of each of the rows of bags 52 and 54 so that each of the bags in each of the rows rests upon a cross bar. This gives vertical rigidity to the bags which are not in direct engagement with either of the panels. Considering the bag sizes and weights involved when standard cement bags are packaged in package 10, the panels 12 and 14 are preferably made of /4" thick plywood while the cross bars 66 and 68 are standard 2" x 4" dimension lumber. This combination, together with standard steel strapping, makes a package which is useful in carrying cement by means of overhead lifts or by means of lift trucks to the jobsite.

At the jobsite, when the package is opened, the panels and cross bars can be destroyed because of their relatively inexpensive nature.

The particular outline configuration of the panels 12 and 14 is to be especially noted. The symmetry about the vertical center line of FIG. 3, together with the dimensional correspondence at right angles to this symmetrical center line of the two cement bags in the widthwise direction provides equal load distribution throughout the panel. Thus, in the particular embodiment shown in the drawings, where the panels are designed for packaging a double row of cement bags, the bags are arranged with respect to the panels so that loading upon the legs 32 and 34 of both of the panels is equalized. This equalization, as well as equalization of load between the two lugs 48, provides for an economy of material for loads which are properly distributed.

In addition to the conservation of material by having the recess 30 of equal dimension to lug 48, as was pre viously described, the relationship of these parts also provides an additional, important function. This function appears when a first package 10 is stacked upon the top of another package 10. In this case the lug 48 in the lower package wholly engages within the recess 30 in the upper package so as to maintain them in proper and rigid alignment. The feet 32 and 34 of the upper package enter slightly between the bags packaged in the lower package to engage upon the top edge 22 of the panels in the lower package. Thus, rigidity is provided in a direction both parallel to and at right angles to the panels. When stacked in such a manner it is clear that there is space between the lower surfaces of cross bars 66 and 68 in the upper package and the tops of the rows of bags 52 and 54in the lower package so that forklift trucks may be inserted therebetween for the purpose of lifting the upper package onto the stack and for the purpose of removing the upper package from the stack. Thus, by the creation of this disposable package of particular design, convenient stacking features are incorporated therein so as to provide a precise and rigid stacking arrangement.

While this invention has been particularly described with respect to its preferred embodiment, it is clear that different numbers of cement bags and different numbers of rows of cement bags can be assembled into the package of this invention, so long as the relative strength of the various components is suitably adjusted to be reasonable under the circumstances dictated by the weight and size of the number of bags involved. Furthermore, if bags of material other than cement bags are used, the weight thereof in comparison to their volume may be greater or lesser, so that dillerent numbers can be packaged into the unitary package while employing lighter support panels, cross bars and the like. Thus, the size and strength of the various components is dictated by the number of bags to be packaged together and by the size and weight of these bags.

This invention has been described in its preferred embodiment and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous changes and embodiments without the exercise of the inventive faculty and within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of this invention is defined by the scope of the following claims.

1 claim:

1. A package which includes:

a plurality of flat sided bags of material, each of said bags having side edges, 21 bottom edge and atop edge, said bags being stacked in a side-by-side relationship in a row so that the bottom edges of said bags are in alignment, so that the top edges of said bags are in alignment, and so that the side edges of said bags are in alignment;

a panel located between the end bag at each end of said row and the next adjacent bag, said panels being parallel to one another and extending from the bottom edges of the bags between which they are located;

the portions of said panels extending from said bottom edges having openings formed therein, each opening in each of said portions being located opposite an opening in the other of said portions;

cross bar means for supporting said bags in said rows,

said cross bar means being located so as to each extend through aligned openings in said portions of said panels, and being supported by said panels, each of said cross bar means extending beneath all of said bags in said row and supporting said bags; and

strap means for holding said bags with respect to said panels extending around said bags and said panels, said strap means extending along said side edges of said bags.

2. A package as defined in claim 1, wherein said panels project beyond the side edges of said bags and have notches located therein, said notches extending between the sides of the bags between which said panels are located, and wherein said strap means extend through said notches.

3. A package as defined in claim 1, wherein two rows of said bags are located side by side with side edges of the bags in each of said rows being located next to side edges of the bags in the other of said rows; and said panels extend between said rows and between the end bag in each of said rows in the next adjacent bag; and

wherein a cross bar means is located beneath each of said rows.

4. A package as defined in claim 3 where said panels project beyond the side edges of said bags of both of said rows which are remote from one another, and wherein said panels have notches located therein, said notches ex tending between the side edges of the panels where they are located to between the sides of the bags between which said panels are located, and wherein said strap means extend through said notches.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,912,151 11/1959 Crabs 206-65 X 3,145,853 8/1964 Langenberg 20665 X FOREIGN PATENTS 521,164 5/1940 Great Britain. 868,455 5/ 1961 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PACKAGE WHICH INCLUDES: A PLURALITY OF FLAT SIDED BAGS OF MATERIAL, EACH OF SAID BAGS HAVING SIDE EDGES, A BOTTOM EDGE TO A TOP EDGE, SAID BAGS BEING STACKED IN A SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATIONSHIP IN A ROW SO THAT THE BOTTOM EDGES OF SAID BAGS ARE IN ALIGNMENT, SO THAT THE TOP EDGES OF SAID BAGS ARE IN ALIGNMENT, AND SO THAT THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID BAGS ARE IN ALIGNMENT; A PANEL LOCATED BETWEEN THE END BAG AT EACH END OF SAID ROW AND THE NEXT ADJACENT BAG, SAID PANELS BEING PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER AND EXTENDING FROM THE BOTTOM EDGES OF THE BAGS BETWEEN WHICH THEY ARE LOCATED; THE PORTIONS OF SAID PANELS EXTENDING FROM SAID BOTTOM EDGES HAVING OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN, EACH OPENING IN EACH OF SAID PORTIONS BEING LOCATED OPPOSITE AN OPENING IN THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS; CROSS BAR MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BAGS IN SAID ROWS, SAID CROSS BAR MEANS BEING LOCATED SO AS TO EACH EXTEND THROUGH ALIGNED OPENINGS IN SAID PORTIONS OF SAID PANELS, AND BEING SUPPORTED BY SAID PANELS, EACH OF SAID CROSS BAR MEANS EXTENDING BENEATH ALL OF SAID BAGS IN SAID ROW AND SUPPORTING SAID BAGS; AND STRAP MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID BAGS WITH RESPECT TO SAID PANELS EXTENDING AROUND SAID BAGS AND SAID PANELS, SAID STRAP MEANS EXTENDING ALONG SAID SIDE EDGES OF SAID BAGS. 